Our Story
Hello and welcome to the official blog of Equestrians of Faith!
My name is Ashleigh and I’m so excited to have you here. Some of you may be following my photography work and if so welcome! If you’re new around here let me introduce myself.
I’ve been an active horseback rider since I was very young and am currently the proud owner of two horses, Banjo & Moe. Banjo is my childhood horse who I’m blessed to have as a big inspiration behind Ashleigh Magnus Photography. I began my photography journey simply as a way to afford horseback riding while going through my college years. However, there was something about capturing the connection between riders and their horses that sparked a passion in me. I quickly fell in love with the art form and have been pursuing it ever since.
Equestrians of Faith is a personal project of mine geared towards bringing together faith-based equestrians and small businesses. I’ve always searched for some sort of group that connected Christians involved with either horses or businesses. I thought why not try to form a safe space for all of us to connect!
To kick our new blog off I thought I could share with all of you a piece of my own faith journey and the purpose behind this community.
I was blessed to be raised in a faith-based household my entire life. I had the opportunity to attend Sunday school, weekly church services, prayers before meals; all of it. However, even though I grew up in a Christian environment, it still felt like something was missing for me. It wasn’t until I hit my highschool years that I began questioning what I was feeling.
I was accepted into Westmont college where I studied for several years and had the chance to “find my own way” so to speak. Even though I believed in God, read my Bible, and prayed; I never felt truly connected to Him. Being a part of Westmont’s community helped me to begin forming a personal relationship with God. I remember attending our weekly chapel services and being completely moved by the atmosphere. It was like nothing I had ever experienced in church.
When I came back home I was constantly in search of a similar environment. I wanted something where I could really feel God’s presence again. Months I searched for a community that I could connect with, but came up short every time. Slowly over time other priorities began to take place and I put my searching on hold.
I continued to focus on my business and the horses, diving into the things I loved. But I could feel my faith becoming weaker. I struggled back and forth with it for quite some time. I got wrapped up in friendships and relationships that drove me further away from God. It was difficult for me to feel like my faith was still there.
Fast forward some time and I ended up walking into the movie theaters in March of 2019 to go see I Still Believe. The movie focused on Christian singer/songwriter Jeremy Camp and the story behind the hit song I Still Believe. To this day I’m still not sure what happened inside that theater, but I walked out feeling completely moved. It all just hit me super hard. I knew with absolute certainty I wanted to get back on track with my faith. I wanted to find a community that would help me stay on track and grow closer to the Lord. Not to mention I also wanted to find a way to praise God through the gifts he had given me.
Shortly after the theater experience, I found Elevation church. At first I was hesitant because it was all online for me, but then I realized how easy it was to connect even online. There was something about Elevation’s head pastor, Steven Furtick, that just clicked for me. I knew I needed to continue to listen.
I always thought that I had to find a church and community group I could connect with in person. Truth be told, I’ve recognized that isn’t necessarily the case. Online groups and church have been extremely fulfilling for me. Of course, I will always look for that in person, but I know now more of what exactly I’m looking for. God really does work in mysterious ways. Our recent pandemic has been trying, but I feel one of the positive was finally finding a way for me to connect back to my faith.
Since that day at the theaters, I prayed long and hard about how to serve God through my art. I remember trying to write ideas down and brainstorm possible things to do. One morning I woke up and the simple phrase Equestrians of Faith came to mind. I couldn’t shake the idea. I had no idea what to do with it, but I knew I just wanted to try something.
So honestly, here we are now! Equestrians of Faith is a newly formed spaced created for YOU! It’s geared towards equestrians and small business owners, but we welcome everyone with open arms. This is a group that I’m hoping you find yourself wanting to contribute and share with. We will be providing as many resources as we can to help everyone connect in their own way. Listed below are a few links just to get you started. Please feel free to reach out at any time with questions, contributions, or even your own story! My hope is that everyone involved in this group is here to enjoy it, connect with one another, and form a deeper connection with God.
Click Below to Connect!
Facebook Group
Faith Resources
Worship Playlist